Steve Coll: Africa Command

Africa Command has been troubled from the start; its mission was never well defined, and its launch left African governments and populations with the impression that the United States intended to militarize its policies on the continent, perhaps to contain China or compete with her in search of raw materials. Stung by this public-relations fiasco at its début, Africa Command has put out all manner of statements emphasizing that its purpose is to promote political stability, “institutional capacity,” and humanitarian good works. But this has only tended to compound the confusion: Why would the Department of Defense take the lead in such missions, and not State or Commerce or, for that matter, nongovernmental and United Nations development agencies?